Water-softening apparatus



April 5 1927.

c. P'. ElsENl-IAUER WATER SOFTENING APPARATUS 'Filed JulyZG, 1926 -2sheets-sheet 1 INVETOIL cf/nms P. Huw/muffe.

ATTORNEYS.

'a yielding diaphragm 6.

Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNITED lsf'rafrl'zgs" PAflfal-Z'lT oFFlcE.

CHARLES P. EISENHAUEB, 0F DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE DURO COMPANY, 0FDAYTON, OHIO,- A CORPORATION 0F OHIO. i

. WATER-sorrENING. arrazaa'rus. v

application med' July 2s,j1s2e.l seriai1 No. 124,932.

My invention relates to water softening apparatus andin particular toequipment used with automatic water softening apparatu's.y v A Myinvention is particularly adaptable to that type of watersofteningbapparatus, which Ais more fully set' forth and described in myco-'pending application Serial No. 491,580.'v

The particular invention involved this application relates to theoperation of the brine valve and the refill valve and the controlthereof. L

'It is my object to provide an interlocking j float vcontrol mechanismby lwhich the refill valve and brine valve may be both locked in apredetermined position.

Referring to the drawings:

Fi re 1 isa section through the unitary 17-from the passageway in thepipe 1. This.`

16. To this valve stem passes-through'the pipe 17 forming a continuationofthe brine l line and into theinterior thereof.

A `artition 18 is arranged transverselyin l this ine separating it fromthe pipe 19 which leads into the brine tank. IA valve seat 20.isprovided in thel partition about the aperture 21 therein, the lower sideof which valve seat is adapted to be engaged by the valve 22 carried onthe valvestem 8 to close the opening 2 1.

Returning to the other side of the mechanism, it will be observed that avalve member 23-known as 4the rell valve is'providedy for closing Aanopening 24 in a-partition 25 Whlch separatesthe passagewayxin the pipesvalvemember 23 is carried on a refill valve comblnation of a relillvalve and brine valve with associated passageways and -mecha- Figure 2is a plan view thereof;

Figurel 3 is a Section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line of Fi re 3.

eferring to the drawings in detail, 1 is 'a brine line, through whicheither Vpasses brine or water to'reill the brine tank.' 'In this line isconnected at 2 av pipe 3, which 4- communicates the pressure on the sideof the `softener .to the diaphragm chamberl. This" .diaphragm chamberhas its topformed by the housing 5 and bottom gformed by the Thisdiaphragm engages with aplate 7 carried on the upper end of a valve stemyCflllfllillg the valve stem 26`by engagingA i S'of the brine valve.'This valve stem also.

carries a locking plate 9 which is engaged by a spring 10 resting onthel shoulder 11 whichfserves to maintain the valve inclosed position.The `locking' plate 9 is .also en- 38 is also connected to the f gagedbythe locking head of the plungerlQ,"v

the@ o erationof which will be more fully vdescri d hereinafter. i

.Returning to the packing 13 held in position brine valve Stem 8', itwill be observed that .it passes throuhaac g stem 26.,

The valve stem passes upwardly through spring 29 in a cage 30. '31 is avalve spring with a locking plate 32 which iscarried on the -valvestem..` vOn the upperend of the valve stem is a plate 33 engaging witha' yielding diaphragm 34 forming the bottom of .al refill valvediaphragm chamber 35. Communicating with this chamber is a pipe 36 whichleads from the master control valve part of the water not shown, which.is a softening` apparatus.

The refill valve is the locking plate' 32. The plunger 3.7@ pivoted at39 and having connected thereto a float arm 40, the free end of whichcarries the usual float inl-thebrine'tank. This arm plunger 12in thefollowing 'manner'. v

The lunger 12 is guided therein shoul ers 42'thereon workin inthe slots43 V'engaged by an rarm 38.

l adapted to be locked in' position byv theA plungerY 37 engaging with A4sleeve 41'is carried .on the plunger 38 within which sleeve'4 moves theplun erv12. Y

y the of." the sleevef41. Ihe outsi e of thissleevemv .is threaded at-44' and carries athimbley45 through the free end of which the plunger 12zis. adapted .to freely, operate. Between the f l I outside end of thisthunble and an abutment a vpacking'27, a gland 28 within a packing looOperatie/iz.

When the apparatus ceases its softening operation and 1s converted intoregenerating. position, it will be found .that the pressure which hasexisted in the line 1 of water has been communicated through' the pipe 3to the diaphragm Vchamber 4 and has been maintaining the brine valve 22Open. The locking plunger 12-has, as a result, moved into 'lockingposition and locked this valve Y open. l

` Thus, when the regeneration starts, whichl consists of drawing brinewater through the pipe 19, ,pipe 17' and pipe 1 into the system, Adue tothe action of the injector in the system, the brine valve will be opento allow `the passage of liquid. At the same time, the liquid pressurewhich is behind the diaphragm 6 will be decreased due to the 1n- ]ecting'action and the suction on the Water in the neighborhood of the opening2 of the i 3. p ressure will be set up in the line 36am thediaphragm'chamber 35 due to admission of such pressurev through 'theneedlepcontrol valve of the system. This results in depressing thediaphragm 34 and locking plate 32. This results in thev plunger 37moving into locking position as lthe float and float arm descend. Itisobvious that it is not desired to withdraw the plunger .12 so that the 1yielding connection between the two plungers, as, shown in Figure 3, isdesirable permittipg both plungers to remain in locking Y positron,while their overall length increases between their respective ends.

The continued descent of the float and iloat arm eventually, whensufficient brine has been extracted from the tank, cause the arm 38` towithdraw the plungerl 12, which permits of the shutting of the valve 22.

The depreion of the diaphragm 34has opened the refillvalve 23 permittingthe con- -tinuous flow 'of brine from the'brine tank..

lV-hile the brine is shut off, water is run- I ning through the 'systemto flush out the brine and when this ceases the softener is drawn overto softening position with the res ult that the pressure 1s decreased in'the line 36 and increased or set up .in the chaine,

ber'4 through thel line 3vso that the valve' 22 is held open by thispressure, and the valve `23 .can close `if it is unlockedby' the lock37. This results inboth valves 22 and .l l 23"being open permittingthe'water to flow `into the brine tank. 1,

This causes the am 'to ns in theank with the result that thelock 37 ispulled out 23 is closed, thus shutting o a further supply of water fromthe brine tank.

lt will be understood that, when" this reL filling operation starts, thevalve 23 is held open by hydrostatic pressure andthe valve 23 is lockedopen.

lt will be understood that l desire to cornprehend within my inventionsuch modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditionsand uses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a water softener, 'a refill valve, a brine valve, means to deliverhydrostatic pressure to open the refill valve, means *to deliverhydrostatic pressure to open the brine valve, locking means for saidrespective.l

2. In a water softener,aretill valve, a brine valve, means to deliverhydrostatic 'pressure to open the refill valve, means to deliverhydrostatic pressure to open the brine valve, locking means for saidrespective valves, a

common iioat actuating means for said locking means actuated by thelevel of brine in a brine tank, and a brine line adapted to convey brinein one direction' and relill water in the other direction controlled bysaid refill and brine valves, and means to yieldingly vary the distancebet-Ween the ends o f said locking means. v

l3.4 In a water softener, a brine valve and a refill valve, a pipevvayfor conveying brine water and refill water controlled byA said valveshaving a brine supply at Aone end .and a softening apparatus at thevother end, a line for conveying hydrostatic pressure to operate thebrine valve extending from' the pipe line on the side of the softener tobehind vthe brine valve, a second hydrostatic line adapted lto beconnected to the incomingA water of the softener and to the refill valveffor actuating the reiill'valve, interconnected locking means for saidrespective valves to lock them open and a common -ioat means adapted toalternately actuate said locking means, and yielding means for returningsaid valves to their closed position.

4. In a water softener, a pipeline adapted v to convey brine waterand-refill lwater con nected on its respective sides to a brine tank anda softening apparatus, transverse partil 'tions in said pipe iine havingapertures therethrough and valveseats therein, a relill valve and abrine valve adapted to close said *Y I passageways, yielding means forclosing said valves, locking means for locking. said valves open, dieplur'ag'msn connected to said respective valves for receiving hydrostaticp ressure Ato open said valves, means for conveym hyrme drostaticpressure to a point behind the valve from e point between the softeningapparatus and the refill valvein the pipe line, means to conveyhydrostatic pressure from the incoming hard Water of the softener tobehind the rell valve and float means su'pported in a brine supply foralternately actuating Sad locking means. y

5. In combinatiom spaced refill and brine valves controlling a pipe, a,pipe, hydrostatic and yielding means for actuating said valves, one ofsaid hydrostatic means deriving its pressure from the pipe and the leother from pressure exteriorly of the pipe, interconnected locking meansfor locking said valve members open, e common float member foralternately locking and unlocking Said locking' means, and means forvarying yield- 20 ingly the overall length between the-ends of saidlocking'means.

n testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CHARLES P. EISENHAUER.'

